Internship: Finding the Art Gallery

Differentiating BSSL and TOMS Shoes

One of the most frequent responses I receive after visioncasting for Buy Shoes. Save Lives. is this: “Oh… so you’re like TOMS Shoes?”

We’re honored to be numbered with TOMS Shoes in anyone’s mind. They would be great company to keep.

On the other hand, we think it’s important to highlight a few differences between Buy Shoes. Save Lives. and TOMS - not because one way is inherently better, but because we have slightly different goals and methods and we think it’s preferable not to have the two conflated. The following three categories represent some of the ways in which TOMS and Buy Shoes. Save Lives. are different.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BSSL is doggedly committed to using our access to American and international markets to develop the economy of Northern Iraq by never farming out the production of our shoes to cheaper production regions of the world. BSSL klash are made entirely by hand by shoe artisans at 35 hours per pair in a non-factory setting by apprenticed workers. We know the name of every shoe maker with whom we work. We believe exporting production is exporting economic development and therefore, our shoes will remain “Made in Iraq” and cost $100. Some of TOMS shoes are made in China and cost much less at $38/pair. TOMS shoes are made in sweatshop-free conditions in Argentina, Peru, and China, but many Americans have commented that it is increasingly difficult to find TOMS shoes that are made somewhere other than China.

BUSINESS MODEL

BSSL is a non-traditional for-profit business that gives every cent of profit to children in Iraq who need heart surgeries. All of our staff have raised independent financial support and therefore volunteer for BSSL. TOMS is a traditional for-profit business excercising a highly accute social conscience.

SCOPE

BSSL has two full-time volunteers, two part-time volunteers, and a handful of activists like you. BSSL grossed $12,000 in our first quarter and has helped two children whose names and families we know increasingly well. TOMS has 16 full-time employees, a building, recently went on a nation-wide tour sponsored in part by Ford, and has grossed nearly $2 million dollars or more in two years. TOMS has delivered over 50,000 shoes to children in Argentina and various places in Africa!

CONCLUSION

The things listed above are things to which we want to draw attention so as to not be misunderstood in our particular posture on these issues. We are not attempting to set ourselves against TOMS. We are merely saying that our context warrants a different approach. It would be problematic for one to assume that we’ve unscrupulously copied TOMS approach without considering the ways in which our situation demands differentiation.

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